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UNITED STATES PATENT CEETCE.

FRANCIS JARVIS PATTEN, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTROTHERAPEUTICAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,957, dated J une22, 1897.

Application led September 30, 189

fo @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANCIS J Anvis PAT- TEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectrotherapeuticalApparatus and Methods of Administering the Electric Current to the HumanSubject, of which the following is a description.

My invention consists in a system or method of applying electricity tothe human subject, as well as a new combination of apparatus by means ofwhich the desired result is obtained.

The purpose of the system is to make electrical treatment by shock lessunpleasant and distressful than it has heretofore been.

The apparatus and system is made plain by the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure l represents by diagram the apparatus used, and Figs. 2,3, and 4 illustrate the principles applied. Fig. 2 is an irregularbroken curve drawn with reference to a line of symmetry xx, called inelectrotechnics the zero or time line,.and this curve represents in ageneral way the changing electromotive force or voltage given by anordinary induction-coil used in medical applications of electricity.

There is first a positive wave (indicated JV in the ligure) above thezero-line. This is broken off suddenly and is immediately followed by amuch more powerful negative wave of shorter duration though of greaterintensity. (Indicated in the figure.) Then follows a break or completeinterruption of current, (indicated O in the Iigure,) and then the samecycle is repeated, all taking place in rapid succession many times asecond. Such a current is styled an interrupted reversed current, and itis supposed to be the sudden interruptions and violent reversals ofelectromotive force that cause to a large extent the painful sensationsthat invariably accompany any application of the faradaic current to theperson by means of the ordinary induction apparatus.

The electromotiveforce curve of an alternating-eurrent dynamo exhibits7more or less, the same characteristics, because itis also produced byinduction apparatus in which iron is present, and magnetism plays a partin producing the eleetromotive force just as 6. SerialNo. 607,401.(Noinodel.)

when a galvanic battery is used with an induction-coil.

Any apparatus depending upon lnagnetic induction or having iron cores tothe generating-circuits will give an irregular voltage curve like thatindicated in Fig. 3, which representsacommon forni ofelectromotive-force curve of an alternating-eurrent dynamo.

The curve of electromotive force produced by revolving a coil of wire ina uniform magnetic field, the revolving coil heilig free from iron, isshown in Fig. a, which is a true sine curve, rising gradually from thezero value to a positive maximum value, IL) and, going from this valueto zero, attains a corresponding negative maximum, IL) withoutinterruption or break whatever, the change being a gradual and uniformone throughout. Vith such a uniformly varying current much highervoltages can be applied to the human system without distressorineonvenienee than if an interrupted current is given with its violentreversals of electroinotivc force. Much, however, depends upon theperiodicity or frequency of alternation of the current applied, which isgenerally too rapid.

A very slowly alternating current of approximate sine form, Fig. it,seems best adapted to medical use. The apparatus I have devised toproduce this current is shown by diagram in Fig. l. It is designed togive a uniform and smoothly-changing voltage like that indicated by thecurve in Fig. 4. The apparatus is also designed to make this current ortransform and reconstruct it from most any convenient source of directcurrent, such as the electric-light mains leading into a house or theterminals of a galvanic battery.

In Fig. l, A B are the terminals of such a source of current, L L2representing the lighting-mains of the house7 and Y a galvanic battery.T T represent a tub or vessel made of insulating material filled withacidulatcd water.

At diametrically opposite sides of the tub and placed against its wallson the inside are two electrodes C C2, made of carbon or metal, to whichleads from the source of current to be used are connected.

At the center of the tub a vertical spindle N carries a revolving arm M(M2, also of insulating material, which during use of the IOO apparatusis revolved slowly by clockwork or by a motor, (indicated at D D, Fig.1,) a belt from which drives the arms Il Mi3 at a comparatively slowrate of speed, not more than a few times a second. These arms carry attheir extremities other electrodes C3 C4, the distance of which from thespindle N can be adjusted from a position in which, while revolving,they will just clear or pass the fixed electrodes C' C2 on the walls ofthe tub to a position that leaves a considerable distance between themon passing. This is made practicable by providing longitudinal slots ZZ2 in the arms lll' M2, of insulating material, through which pins ofconducting material pass that support the revolving electrodes Ci (Il.These pins have nuts X] X2 at their heads above the arms M M2 by whichthe movable electrodes maybe secured at any point along their respectiveslots, thus fixing their distance from the spindle N and from theelectrodes C' C2 in passing them. The spindle also carries two insulatedring-com tacts R and R2, against which bear the brushes or slidingcontacts il H2, the rings being connected, as shown, to the tworevolving electredes Cf, one to each, while other leads from the brushesll' Il2 go to independent operating-circuits connected to the terminalsA2 B2.

Different devices for agplyin g the current may be attached to thesemain terminals A2 132 of the operating-Gironits. Thus E Egrepresentordinary hand-electrodes, S S2 sponge electrodes, and P P2 are pails orvessels of water having electrodes E3 E" inside. These are filled withslightly-acidulated water, and by immersing the hands or feet in themthe current can be sent through the upper or lower extremities of thebody.

Of course any form of electrodes may be used to apply the current to thesubject, either through the medium of water or by direct application ofthe electrode to the person.

The system will now be clearly understood. It consists, in generalterms, in transforming any ordinary direct current to a uniformly andsmoothly alternating one without prolonged Zero periods orinterruptions, its voltage being represented preferably by a sine curveand the frequency being lower than that ordinarily generated bydynamo-electric machinery. This is accomplished by passing the originalcurrent through a slowly-revolving liquid commutator orcurrent-reverser,

which, I think, is the only device that will give a perfectly unbrokenand uniformly varying alternating current, devoid ,of anysuddenreactions or change of voltage.

Tracing the circuits in Fig. l, it is evident that if the movableelectrodes C C'l are revolved then a direct current supplied to theleads connected to A' B' will become an alternating current in thecircuits connected to th e brushes Il H2 or terminals A2 32.

An ordinary metallic reversing-commutator will not, however, serve thepurpose, because there would always be more or less violent reactionsand change of voltage at every passage of the brush from one segment ofsuch a cornmutator to the next. In fact, the slightest sparking at thebrushes indicates such reaction and a non-interrupting or absolutelysparkless current-reverser must be usedfor this purpose.

I have shown the apparatus connected either to the house-m ains forlighting or to the terminals of a battery. It is understood, of course,that the water in the liquid commutator can be used as a rheostat orresistance to diminish the voltage, if that of the source is too high,this being done by simply moving the electrodes CS Ci in toward thespindle and so increasing the water-resistance between the fixed andmoving elect-redes on passing. On the other hand, if the voltage of thebattery Y is too low, the transformed alternating current can be passedthrough the coreless induction-coil I I, Fig. l, and any desiredincrease of voltage given it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is the following:

l. In electrotherapeutie apparatus a source of electric energy, leadstherefrom to the terminals of a current-reversing apparatus adapted totransform said current to a uniformly and gradually alternating unbrokencurrent and leads from said current-reversing apparatus to devices forapplying said transformed current to the human subject substantially asdescribed.

2. In electrotherapeutic appaia-nus a current-reversing deviceconsisting of a system of fixed and revoluble electrodes, both immersedin a liquid conductor, the fixed and revoluble electrodes beingconnected to independent electric circuits and means for rcvolving themovable electrodes with respect to and in proximity to the fixedelectrodes, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the :foregoing as my invention I have hereuntoset my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, this 29th day ofSeptember, i396.

FRANCIS .IARYIS lrr'illtlhl. lVitnesses:

Gnoncn il. lnxnn'rr, A. .Tinoxxn'o HALL.

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